Present day: Kestrel Academy boarding school, in a city a short distance from Paris...

"...What are you saying, Alicia?" Seung Myung-Dae spoke into the telephone receiver in a higher-pitched tone than usual.

"I just don't think that we should be going out anymore, Dae." The girl's voice drummed relentlessly into his ear, and his grip on the phone tightened, despite the regret that clearly threaded through her words. "I mean, it was great while it lasted, but now that I'm moving to America, and you're going back to Korea in a year when you graduate... It's just not a good situation for a good relationship, you know?"

"Alicia, please." Myung-Dae's French, interlaced with a telling accent of his home country, was anything but calm. "Don't make this decision rashly. We can still--"

"I'm sorry, Dae, but it's not rash. I've been thinking about this ever since my dad told me we were moving. That was a month ago." Alicia's voice began to shake. "Dae, I'm sorry! I don't want to do this either, but... it's what's best for both of us, can't you understand that? We need to move on, we need to--"

"Maybe you do, Alicia." His previously uncomposed voice was now as flat as a plain. "But not..." He stopped, took a breath, then went on. "Goodbye, Alicia."

"Dae? Myung-Dae, please, don't hang up. We can still be friends, right? You'll come say goodbye to me before I--"

Seung Myung-Dae placed the phone back in its cradle quite carefully before moving just as carefully to sit upon his bed. His face was still entirely devoid of all emotion even after he had turned, fisted his hand, and struck a hole in the wall of the dorm room his shared with his brother.

Seung Sang-Min hide father into his work book. The phone had been ringing and now his brother was talking to what sounded to be Alicia, his girl friend, his love. Sang-Min wrinkled his nose at the thought that his brother was still going out with that woman. It had been how many months and he still thought that he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. Trying not to listen into what his brother was saying to her a smile creeped over his face. Maybe now he could get his brother to go after a more suitable girl.

Putting his book over his face he lay down on the bed so that his brother would not see his smile. It would only alert Myung-Dae what he was planning on saying or doing. His brother knew him so well, well he should they had been twins since birth. His grin grew even bigger before being wiped from his face completely as he heard his brother hang up on the girl. His usual trick to do to the girls that changed their minds and broke up with him or so Sang-Min felt was true.

“And that is number three? Or was it four?” Sang-Min’s voice was muffled by the Latin workbook. He spoke in their native tongue as it was a lot easier for him to needle his brother with it. It was one more thing that none of Myung-Dae love interests had ever come by natural, and none of them had been able to speak it well. “You should just let me find you a nice quite Asian girl that mom would not worry to have taken back to Popo and Grams. One that will be the good obedient wife that all Asian men need.” Sung-Min always liked harping on that one tradition that their mother seemed to fear they would break.

“It’s not like you are having any luck on your own dear Dae.” Pulling the book off his face he laid it down on the bed and hung his head over the side so he could see his brother. His blue eyes flashing with merriment to see the look on his brothers face.

How to break a heart? A question many have asked me. It not difficult, oh not at all. So easy, anyone could do it, even you, if you tried. All you need to do, is find a light- and switch it off...

Gisélle Chevalier looked up at the ceiling of her boyfriend's dorm room, taking a deep breath. This was the moment, everything before was crescendo, this was it. She dangled her nude Dior espadrilles of her ankle, trying to figure out how to put her feelings into words. Gisélle and Otello Dimichi had been dating for five months now, the two inseparable. With Otello's artistic talents and Èlle's flare for fashion, the two "brought magnifique to a whole new level". They were like Ying and Yang, glass slippers and happily ever after.

"I- I don't know how to say this,Otello, but..." Another breath, or was it a sigh this time? Her pale green eyes met his mochachino Italians. "Otello, I love you. I love you, I'm in love with you and..." Somehow, the boy's reaction was not as Gisélle had expected. He was... detached. Distant.

"Èlle... are you sure about that?" He eyed her oddly, like he doubted that. The blond got off the bed, walking towards him. She grasped his hand, but he pulled out of the touch. A numbing sensation filled her stomach, then traveled to the rest of her body.

"Why do you doubt my love?" Gisélle turned her back from Otello, sighing dramatically. He wasn't like this, not her love, her the Italian who had captured her heart and soul. Why was everything different all of a sudden?

"Because I could never love you the way you love me. I'm gay."

Everything clicked into place. Speechless and broken once more, Gisélle stood there. Motionless. Numb. Dead. The boy tried to envelop her into a hug, but she began to punch his chest with her fists. "YOU! YOU LIED TO ME! How COULD you? I gave you my EVERYTHING, and you throw it away like it was NOTHING!" She tore from the room, not caring that everyone in the boy's dorm had probably heard her. While running down the hall, she tripped on the very heels she adored.

Another heart broken once more.

Myung-Dae's pale violet eyes glared back at his brother. How could he be so laid-back about this? His brother had just had his heart broken, and here Sang-Min was acting like he was discussing a turn in the weather. Dae turned his scowl away and directed it at the new hole in the wall, raising up his fist to massage his bruised and bleeding knuckles.

"I guess I should tell dorm maintenance about that," he muttered, shaking his head, then brushing his dark red, almost black hair out of his eyes where it had fallen. Dae knew he was completely skirting the issue of Alicia and his former girlfriend--contrary to Min's remark, he had only had one before Alicia.

Rising from his bed, he headed to the bathroom to grab a bandage. Fumbling with the packaging, he dropped the bandage completely when a shriek ripped through his ears:

"YOU LIED TO ME! ....THROW IT AWAY... NOTHING..."

Something in Myung-Dae snapped. One of the things he liked about these dorms was that they were usually quiet and orderly. That scream was enough to shatter windows. And that on top of being dumped just minutes before...

He kicked the dropped bandage aside and strode his long legs over to the door. Throwing it open, he stuck his torso out, looked around, and growled, "What is going ON here?"

It was not until after he'd spoken that he realized that he had spoken not in French, but in his native Korean. Nevertheless, the quiet anger and contempt in his words would most likely get through.

“Oh come on Dae, it’s not like she was going to be your only. We both knew that, mother would never accept your choice of woman, and until she dies or your make your own fortune, you won’t get your own girl to sleep with.” Sang-Min said as he rolled his eyes. He watched his brother scowl at the wall; a small smile crossed his lips. Well just think how lucky you are that you did not brake you hand dear brother.

“And you will tell the maintenance crew what? That you fall over again and put your fist out to block the fall?” Min sounded slightly amused at that. He covered his fact again with the book acting like he was trying to read it again. “Think they will believe you this time? They did not last time.” Min really disliked it when his brother was coming back down from being in love with a girl, sometimes he was just so child like in it that Min did not want to be sharing the same room.

As Dae got up and walked into the bath room Min rolled his eyes. He never could take it could he. If it had to do with a girl Min should keep his mouth shut and not talk, or so he thought that Dae thought. “You know you can always find another one, there are plenty at this school and who knows the Witch,” Min was referring to their mother, for some times she could be a total witch. “Might like her money well enough that she accepts her.”

Min was up and moving to the door as his brother came storming out when Gisélle shrieked. oh no what did that boy do to her now? If he hurt her in any way I am going to kill him even if she tells me not to. He needs to learn what a good thing he has. Min snorted as his brother spoke in Korean, then he saw Gisélle. Oh lords He has hurt her this time. Controlling his temper Min called after Gisélle in French. “Gisélle, what happened?”